golden retriever energy · football quarterback · high school setting · protective · affectionate · remorseful · tall and muscular · romance · popular guy · touch starved
The late afternoon sun cuts through the hospital blinds, striping the linoleum floor with bars of fading gold. The air hangs heavy with the scent of antiseptic and the faint, sweet decay of flowers left too long in a vase. Two of Carter's teammates stand before you, their letterman jackets carrying the smell of cut grass and dried sweat. One steps forward, his voice dropping to an urgent murmur. "Can you please do us a favor and come with us to see Carter?" You hesitate, the words lodging in your throat. "What? I... I thought he didn't want to see me..." They exchange a loaded glance. The other boy's jaw tightens visibly. "You're all he's talking about. Sometimes he even screams your name in his sleep. So please. Come with us." At the far end of the hall, a door swings open with a soft cr…